Textiles

Asbestos in Textiles and Other Materials

The use of asbestos in textiles goes back over 2,000 years. In modern times, the commercial uses of asbestos began shortly after the start of the Industrial Revolution. After asbestos building products were shown to prevent property damage, cloth woven from asbestos fibers were turned into a variety of protective garments, ranging from asbestos-lined gloves and aprons for blacksmiths and foundry workers to full asbestos suits and masks designed to protect fire fighters, race car drivers, movie stunt men, petroleum industry workers, and many others working in high-temperature environments.

Hazards Associated with Textile Products

It is no coincidence that virtually all industrial workers are at substantially higher risk for asbestos disease than the general population. Those who wore asbestos garments were exposed when these garments began to fray and wear, releasing the fibers into the immediate environment. Once lodged in lung tissues, these fibers can cause a variety of conditions ranging from inflammation and scarring to malignant mesothelioma.

Asbestos diseases - particularly cancer - typically have a very long latency period. Symptoms do not usually become apparent until ten to fifty years after initial exposure. This has a significant impact on both the medical and the legal issues surrounding asbestos exposure, and is part of the reason why asbestos litigation has played an important role in helping mesothelioma victims over the years.

Sources

Bowker, Michael. Fatal Deception: The Untold Story of Asbestos (New York: Touchstone, 2003)